Christ Episcopal Church

Christ Church Harlan is a diverse and welcoming congregation located in the center of Harlan, a community origionally founded on the coal industry of Appalachia. This close-knit congregation has a strong ministry of music both within the church and the community. The members have an active outreach to Christ’s Hands, a local food pantry, medical clinic and homeless shelter, along with supporting local backpack programs and community music and outreach programs. 

The congregations was formed in the mid-nineteen twenties and the English gothic design sandstone church was opened on February 22, 1931 and consecrated by Bishop Abbott on July 11, 1937 when it formally became a parish of the Diocese of Lexington.  A newly renovated undercroft provides space for congregational dinners and activities. The annual fundraiser gathers around seventy community residents who join together for a gourmet feast while raising several thousand dollars each year to support programs such as a Hospice camp for children who have lost family members, Reading Camp, Community recovery programs, St. Agnes House (a “Ronald McDonald type facility for patients undergoing outpatient treatment or family members who need a place to stay while their children are receiving treatment at the University of Kentucky Hospital), the Diocesan Camp and Conference  Center along with other ministries. Children and youth are an active part of our community, singing in the choir, serving as acolytes and readers, and participating in the outreach of the church. Sunday School for children, youth and adults, meeting in their own house next to the church gives an opportunity to explore the faith we proclaim in Sunday worship.